SAN FRANCISCO – Entering the fall 2022 campaign after having graduated some crucial pieces to the team from the season prior, Academy of Art men's soccer was facing a transition of leadership and looking for more contributions from all around. The year began with the promotion of Danny Kirkland to head coach, and included the addition of several new Urban Knights in the offseason.

After a pair of scrimmages, the season officially began Aug. 25 on the road against Cal State Dominguez Hills, and continued two days later on Aug. 27 against Claremont Mudd-Scripps. Netting the first goal of the season was junior forward/midfielder Gilly Miller, who struck on a penalty kick in the 69th minute on what was the first penalty kick opportunity in his ART U career. 

Following a matchup against San Francisco neighbor SF State on Sept. 2 in the home opener, the Urban Knights earned their first draw of the season with a 2-2 battle against Cal State East Bay on Sept. 10. It was a mirror match that saw CSUEB quickly answer ART U goals, with Miller once again finding the back of the net in the 18th minute before tallying his first assist coming from a free kick that saw a wide open junior midfielder Kendryx Soriano put home the header goal, the second of his ART U career.

Moving on to Cal Poly Humboldt on Sept. 12, ART U claimed their first victory of the year with a 2-0 shutout with two Urban Knights burying their first goals of the year. Starting it off was freshman forward Ismaël Elmi, earning credit for the game winner by cleaning up the rebound from a shot by Miller. Later in the match, senior midfielder William Mychaltchouk received a quick pass from senior midfielder/forward Breki Einarsson inside the box on the baseline and powerfully launched a ball across the front of the goal to the back post for the score.

That victory over the Lumberjacks would be the first of three consecutive clean sheets, and behind them all was senior goalkeeper Davis King. After making two saves against Humboldt, he produced another pair of stops in the 3-0 shutout of William Jessup on Sept. 15. Miller continued his scoring ways in the 12th minute when he dribbled to the top of the box from the left wing, firing a shot that beat the Warriors' goalkeeper to his left for Miller's third score of the season and the game winner. Adding insurance goals in the match were as senior midfielder/forward Breki Einarsson, who produced a gorgeous header goal inside the box after a cross from the deep right wing by Soriano, and freshman midfielder Elvis Mensah later converted his first ART U penalty kick opportunity. For King's efforts, he was named the PacWest Defender of the Week on Sept. 19, the first such honor of his career. 

Coming last in the three-game winning streak was a tight 1-0 shutout over Holy Names on Sept. 21 in a non-conference clash, with Miller once again earning credit for the game-winning goal on a free kick in the second half for his fourth marker of the campaign. King was challenged only one time, which he easily turned away, pushing his no goals allowed streak to 292 minutes of game action dating back to the match against Cal State East Bay with a total of six saves over that span. 

Both King's goalless streak and Academy of Art's winning streak would come to an end in the beginning game of a trip to the Hawaiian Islands, a close 1-0 defeat at the hands of Hawaii Pacific in the Pacific West Conference Opener on Sept. 26. King's span reached a total of 353 minutes of game action before a goal in the 62nd minute with a total of seven saves. The trip would end in a pair of 3-2 losses to Chaminade on Sept. 28 and UH Hilo on Oct. 1, with Mensah and Miller responsible for both goals against the Silverswords while both senior defender Jose "JJ" Cortez and freshman forward Nixon Thompson each scored their first goals of the season against the Vulcans. 

After a stop to face Biola on Oct. 6 where Mensah scored ART U's only goal of the game, assisted on by Miller and Mychaltchouk, the Knights earned consecutive 1-1 draws against Azusa Pacific on Oct. 8 and Fresno Pacific in non-conference play on Oct. 11. Freshman defender Oliver Asgeirsson nearly had the game winner against the Cougars in the 77th minute before they responded moments later, while Miller and Mensah connected on a passing play that resulted in yet another goal for ART U's leader in Miller. Meanwhile, freshman goalkeeper Jaiden Brooks made his first career appearance, ending with 10 saves which was the most in a match since King made 11 against the same FPU team on Nov. 2, 2019. 

In the inaugural Bay Area Clásico Cup, a battle of the three Bay Area PacWest schools, Academy of Art dropped the first leg to Dominican on Oct. 16 and was topped by Holy Names in a rematch of the two schools on Oct. 23. ART U did score three times against the Hawks, the first in the career of freshman midfielder Cameryon Stewart and Miller's first brace of the season. 

Miller was responsible for two goals yet again the next time out, scoring both in a 3-2 defeat to Fresno Pacific on Oct. 27 with both goals breaking ART U single-season records. His first came in the 53rd minute on a free kick as an equalizer to a first half tally from the Sunbirds, as his free kick bounced untouched into the back of the net to give him his 23rd point of the season, a new single-season mark for ART U. The second of the match came from a penalty kick opportunity, his third of the season with all coming in the past two matches, giving him his 10th goal of the season to make him the only Urban Knight to reach the double-digit mark in a campaign.

The 2022 campaign came to an end against a pair of Southern California opponents, starting with a close 2-1 loss to Point Loma on Nov. 3 as ART U recognized Mental Health Awareness Day. Senior midfielder Christian Schaffner tallied his first goal of the season in the 12th minute to briefly give the Knights a lead, but consecutive goals from the Sea Lions were the difference. 

Senior day closed the season as Academy of Art played host to Concordia on Nov. 5, but the Eagles claimed the 3-1 victory. Prior to the match, ART U honored the career of seven Urban Knight seniors in Logi Saemundsson, Fannar Omarsson, Jose "JJ" Cortez, Christian Schaffner, Breki Einarsson, Davis King and Gilli Kristjansson. King leaves in numerous ART U career top-10 lists, while Kristjansson has now played in the most matches in program history. 

Following a year in which he proved he could fill the void left by one of the program's best scorers in Adrian Cekala, Miller had a season for the record books as he also collected a pair of postseason awards, being named to the All-Pacific West Conference Second Team as well as earning a spot on the D2CCA All-West Region Second Team. Miller not only led Academy of Art in all statistical categories, but he was one of the top scorers and shot takers in all of the West Region, and his six assists were not only a career best but the second-most in a single ART U campaign. 

Despite graduating seven Urban Knights who all made immeasurable contributions to the program, ART U will return some consistency as it retains its top scorers in Miller and Mensah, who was the only other Urban Knight to reach the double-digit point mark this season. He finished the year with three goals and five assists for 11 points, all of which are new career highs. Additionally, a strong core of players from midfield and defensive line will return with a wealth of experience and talent. 

After a year in which they increased upon their season win total, the Knights will look to continue the progress heading into the 2023 campaign.